Making a Living Without a Job (Non-fiction Book)

Being Joyfully Jobless. Making Self-Esteem a Priority. Looking at Assets. Creating Ideas. Dealing With Obstacles. Implementing Ideas. Developing Multiple Profit Centers. 

Making a Living Without a Job by Barbara J. Winter is changing the way I look at my life and how I fit into the world. Many of us feel like victims in the current economy. Many of us are looking for the next big thing in our lives. Making a Living Without a Job is for those of us who need a major paradigm shift. Winter offers a non-traditional approach to making a living that has worked well for many people. It provides us with ways to be proactive. This is a book that should be read with your notebook or computer beside you so that you can begin to brainstorm how you can implement the ideas.

The main idea of the book is how to be joyfully jobless. In some ways this is similar to being an entrepreneur or being self-employed. It involves being in the world differently: always being aware of your assets, constantly being aware of opportunities and unmet needs, and continuously being willing to grow and evolve.

The book is not new— the copy I read was revised in 2009 —but it is relevant. The book does not cover everything a person needs to know. Certainly many people will need to do more research on their particular interests. But the book is a good starting point, highlights the major practical issues involved in going out on ones own, and has a good bibliography. I have been happily exploring websites and signing up for newsletters. I am reminded of the adage “the proof is in the pudding.” I suppose the final proof is how well the ideas in the book standup to the testing ground of the real lives of those of us who read the book.